When bloggers get together and talk shop, there’s a lot about blogging we can discuss on. Like when I met up with Paris B in February. We chatted till time was forgotten. I love chatting about blogging with this lady. She has plenty of pearls of wisdom to offer. π
One of the topics we covered was a very interesting one about brands/PRS who push new products out to bloggers and getting bloggers to generate the hype quickly to the readers. I’m fortunate as I’ve only encountered very few pushy PRs who want me to review products within a short time frame just to create a buzz and meet the launch date. The thing is, you’ll soon notice that every other blogger would be blogging about the same lipstick or nail polish around the same time. I’m sure you’ve seen this going on and know what I mean.
Paris B told me stories about some of the ones she’s worked with, how very pushy and unpleasant they were and so on. I couldn’t help but think, man, I have it pretty good. π
See, I do get where the PRs are coming from. Their job is to push the products out and make sure people know about them. They have to answer to the brands and fulfil quotas. If the product is a limited edition piece, it’s understandable to want to create a big buzz as soon as possible and to perhaps have bloggers create that hype for the brand. But if it’s not a limited edition item, I can’t help but wonder – what’s the rush? Why not wait it out?
For example, brand X wants me to talk about a BB cream that is about to be launched in the market. Fifty other bloggers are sent the same BB cream by the PR who represents brand X and are requested to blog about it. As readers, within the next few weeks or so, most of the bloggers you’re following write about the same BB cream. I don’t know about you, but personally, it bores me. Within the next few weeks, day after day, I’m reading about that exact BB cream. Again.
However, if you wait it out and blog about it 6 months down the road, then you’re slowly building that hype. You remind people who have most likely forgotten about that BB cream that hey, it’s still there. It’s worth checking out. It may not be new on the market but it could be new to another reader. You’re building the hype, not saturating it.
Case in point, let’s talk about the 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli satchel. A year ago, I lusted after this bag for months. I first saw it on a fashion blog and oh, I wanted it. I was *this* close to buying one. But very soon after the bag was featured on that fashion blog, all of a sudden, every other fashion blogger had one. I saw it on almost all the fashion blogs I follow. Now I can’t be certain if they were purchased by the blogger or a gifted item (most did not disclose. That’s another story to tell for another day, this non-disclosure thing) but the mentions of the bag were almost simultaneous. The Pashli satchel was blogged (still am) so many times that I got sick of looking at it. It came to a point where I don’t even want it anymore.
I think that brands who work with bloggers have to understand that pushing, pushing and more pushing on bloggers just so they get their reviews out quickly doesn’t work. It also doesn’t work if reviews of the same item are to be published within a certain time frame. I don’t deny that it’s useful to create that buzz for limited edition items that won’t be in the market for long but for permanent collections or products, it’s all right to let the blogger work at his/her own pace. They have to understand that all this pushy tactics don’t only turn the blogger off, but to have every other blogger to talk about the same thing at almost the same time bores readers, who are the potential customers.
You can saturate a hype to the point where it’s no longer interesting to the public or you can slowly build the hype to continually draw them in. It’s up to the brands if they want to generate so much hype for one product so quickly (it will also die off very quickly) or continue to work it out as time goes by. A sale is a sale to the brand, whether we buy it now or 6 months down the road, don’t you think? π
What are your thoughts about brands/PRs that push you for quick reviews (if you’re a blogger) and having to read the review of the same product in the span of a few weeks from many bloggers? (if you’re a reader) Would also love to hear your side of the story if you’re representing a brand!
Tine, I’m glad you talked about this topic. As a reader (I don’t think I’m experienced yet to offer any good blogger point of view), it does kind of irritate me when I see 564023123456 posts about the same product/collection over a short amount of time. I see a lot of of these with the bigger brands. And don’t get me wrong, some bloggers make the reviews interesting. For example, when a new shadow collection comes out, I’d love to see the different looks that bloggers come up with. I think the worst is with press releases. When I read the same press release for the 10th, I’ll quickly click out of the page.
Angela @ The Unprofessional Beauty Blog recently posted..Disney Jasmine Collection by Sephora Magic Carpet Ride Eyeshadow Paletteο½Every Girl Is A Princess At Heart
I’m never fan of blogs who regurgitate press releases in places of proper reviews. They’re boring and I think it’s lazy. Might as well not write anything.
Bloggers are readers of other blogs too and I think if we don’t want to see the same ol’ reviews blog after blog, we have to be careful not to do it too. Although I can understand the haste in wanting to be the first to talk about it. Sigh. Not easy eh?
Great and thought through article Tine! And, that’s exactly why personally I never blog about pushed in products (you know that). Our blogs exist because of our readers and thus, our readers’ interests will always come first. Before posting anything on the blog I always imagine if I was reading that particular article – would it be interesting for me to read? If the answer is no, then this article is a no.
Maria V recently posted..Bloom Cosmetics Emily Green Navy & Multi Sparkle
My sentiments exactly. I’m a reader of other blogs as well so if I think this topic is boring, then high chances are other people are going to think it’s boring too. So I cut the topic out. But I understand why bloggers want to be the first to write about a certain product or why brands want to generate massive amounts of hype for limited edition items. They have a job to do, but so do we. At the end of the day, my blog comes first and I have to do what’s right for it. You know what I mean?
well some PRs are really less than pleasant to work it, especially when they keep bugging. and i get the same feeling when the world is blogging about the same thing! it makes me sick by just looking at the items over an over and over again!
xin recently posted..Lovely and Light – Melvita Argal Oil Review
Haha you and me both sister. And possibly every other blogger out there π There’s only so much reviews of the same product to tolerate in the span of 2 weeks!
Great piece Tine. As a reader, I would get saturated reading 10 reviews of the same item at the same time. If I was looking for a moisturiser or a blush for example, I would not mind reading about a new release 6 months down the road since I would buy the product if the reviews are good.
That’s exactly what I thought! For the products that are going to be on the shelf for at least the next 6 months, there’s nothing wrong with writing about it later. This way, when the initial hype has died down and other products come along, you see the earlier product again and thought hey, I want that! There you go, a sale for the brand π
Well said, well said, and I love how we can go on and on about blogging (in general, not just beauty) Its so much fun talking about the nitty gritty what goes behind the blog bits right? π And yes, as you said and as I’ve told people before, wouldn’t you want a refresher when the hype has died? Wouldn’t that be a truer indication of whether a product is worth waiting for or if its just hype? That’s where I come in! π As a reader, I get totally turned off and bored by seeing the same product/launch/brand on every blog in my reader. Boooooringggg!!!
Paris B recently posted..Pastel colours belong on a macaron but they are not Pretty Naughty nor a Tease (and Estee Lauder does not make macarons)
Hahahah I know! Bloggie chats, beauty chats and a great gossip session are always fantastic with you. Time? What time? And thank you for this great topic to talk about! π
I agree; if the product is worth waiting for, then it’s worth talking about even if it’s a year or two down the road. When the hype is saturated, it actually turns people off more than make them excited to want to rush out and get the item because heck, they’ve seen it way too many times. Yawn.
Hi Tine, there is nothing more annoying than a PR agent who gives the same product, at the same time to 10,000 bloggers to review which then floods the market and everyone gets turned off. So then no one ends up reading the post anyway. One of my pet hates in blogging. Surely a PR agent can get hold of a few different type of products of the same brand or item and share it all around. But I guess that is not the point and why I am not in PR-I would have been fired long ago ha ha
Lisa recently posted..Wordless Wednesday
Hahaha I know what you mean. It really gets on your nerve, doesn’t it, having to read so many reviews of the very same product in the span of what, 2 weeks? I know it does for me. So much so I just mark it as read, that’s how uninteresting it can be. It’s not fair to the bloggers, I know, but I guess that’s just the reality of the situation. I think it’s much better to just spread the reviews out as not to saturate the blogosphere with the same product reviews. π
When I first started blog reading some 1 or 2 yrs ago, it got me wondering how come this blogger is talking about this product , and that blogger and then that blogger also talking about the same thing. If the product interests me then I’ll read the 1st review I came across with, but will skip the next ones after I read the title and know it is about the same item.
I like to wait and digest the infos I get about a new item especially skincare before I decide to get it months later. So yes, I prefer a thorough review months after a product is launched if it is that good and worth my money.
Can’t agree with you more, Bugs, because I feel the same too. High chances are that if I’ve already read a review of product X, I’m most likely not going to thoroughly read reviews of product X again (usually just scan through) unless it’s very well-written. I think that’s why some bloggers prefer to quickly get the word out first lest they get left behind. It’s not going to work for the blogger in the long run to work that way because it’s difficult to sustain. Spread it out. Better for the blogger and definitely more interesting for the readers.
Well said Tine! I understand buzz when a new LE collection comes out… But when it’s a new permanent product that is not colour makeup (stuff that can be used creatively – different eyeshadow looks, etc), I absolutely start skimming or skipping posts after the nth review in two days. It becomes overkill, not buzz.
I find this particularly important when it comes to skincare being reviewed on/before release date. Assuming that there’s a tight lead time to test the product, I sometimes wonder if its ample time to really assess how it performs.
Overkill, not buzz. That’s the word. If the item is a limited edition item, then yes, it’s vital to get the word out asap because when it does run out, there’s no more. But for permanent items, nothing kills the interest of readers more than having to read reviews of the same product, day in day out, over and over. Unless the reviews are negative (I don’t know about you, but I tend to be more interested in negative reviews than positive ones. I want to know what to stay away from :P), readers will switch off.
I agree if everyone is blogging the same thing I become disinterested in the product, I’ve once made the mistake before about blogging about a mass sent out product before, I wouldn’t do it again. When it comes down to it I’m the kind of person who doesn’t want to have the same things as everyone else π
And that’s why I love your blog, Jade. You do your own thing π
Working for a brand, I would NEVER push a blogger to review our products! When I send them out I include the PR sheet which highlights any important information like the launch date and whether the product is limited edition or not, and I leave it up to the blogger to decide when to blog about it. I don’t even request that they blog about it at all as I know that most of them have a schedule and prior commitments (and don’t want to seem pushy!). However most of the products I send DO get blogged about and quite soon after I send them, which is a plus! I like the idea of ‘saturating’ the hype because if I’m notified that there are 5 new blog reviews on our products in one day, I won’t share them all on social media that same day (unless it’s a RT). But I will space them out, perhaps one a day on our facebook page which not only benefits us, but the blogger as well! It gives the blogger a sort of exclusivity of having a post on our page for the whole day. Having said that, if you see someone blogging about our products please don’t let that put you off blogging about it too if you want to. Do what you want, whenever you want (or are physically able!) I hope my waffle makes sense!
PS. I’ve been coveting a Celine Luggage Tote.. and after seeing it on PLENTY of blogs.. I still want one. Damn.
Thanks for your comment Niva! It’s always good to hear the other side of the story. I’m so glad you don’t push bloggers to review your products. Honestly, I think that’s why bloggers still want to talk about your brand though, simply because you just let us do our own thing. That works very well. π
PS: Hahaha oh yeah, that Celine luggage tote’s very very popular on blogs as well. Highly coveted stuff and not easy to get. I think that’s why they’re still that popular because people just can’t buy them! π
Well said! I understand the need to be quick if the product is LE, otherwise, it’s best to wait a while. It’s so boring when you follow lots of blogs and they all talk about the same thing. You end up reading a couple of reviews and skipping all the rest cos you already know everything about it and have lost interest anyway. Instead, a reminder several months later that something’s still available is always appreciated.
gio recently posted..Product Review: Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Energizing Bath & Shower Gel
My thoughts exactly. I didn’t want to just mention beauty products because well, that’s an obvious one, but taking the 3.1 Phillip Lim bag, it’s a gorgeous one but now I can’t even stand the sight of it. I may change my mind if I actually see the bag in person but for now, after seeing it on so so so many blogs the past YEAR, nah, I’m over it.
i recently encountered a pushy PR but i had to be firm and outlined my rules clearly whenever they used to talk about the review. it was irritating but learned a lot of diplomacy and tactics of people handling during that time π
Swati recently posted..Just Gossip Vol. 11 – Sneak peek into upcoming posts!!
Me too! It’s a learning curve for me too, having to deal with pushy PRs, to have to be firm but still polite. It’s like work all over again π
I so totally agree with you. The more I see a product being pushed the more I just skip ahead and move on because I’m sick of seeing the same thing. Recently I’ve experienced this with the new Australis Curve Eyeliner. It’s absolutely everywhere and frankly I’m sick of seeing it around!!
Hahahah I’ll be reviewing the Australis Curve Eyeliner too, but not yet. Spacing it out since I too am seeing it in one too many blogs. It’s quite sad and I understand when bloggers want to quickly write about products they love (like me, if I like something, I can’t wait to share it with the world!) so it’s a matter of working out a balance and having to hold back just a little bit before saturating the local blogosphere with reviews of the same product.
I agree with you, Tine and Bugs. At one point in time, when there was a new product launch, the blogosphere was suddenly clouded with that product hype. All good words only, unfortunately. With the exception of limited edition ones, those that are and will be staying on the shelves for a long time to come, I felt the hype should be managed and played down a little sometimes. It got a little boring when you scout your favourite reads and the bloggers seemed to be singing the same song from a basically same but generally similar review etc…Anyhow, I now understand that you lovely bloggers also have some PR people to manage, so all’s good π
I think there needs to be a balance when it comes to product reviews. There’s no need to have to quickly write about a particular product (unless it’s very limited edition), especially if it’s just to appease the brands. I don’t think it works that way. I don’t want to work that way if that’s how it’s going to be because, quite honestly, it will kill my blog. People will be bored to death and I don’t want that to happen. I’m a reader too and I certainly don’t want to have to leave a blog I’ve been following but if the blogger only churns out reviews like that, sorry, I have to say goodbye. Same goes for my own blog. Can’t do it. Happy to buy my own stuff to write about instead π
I felt this way about the Face of Australia Pastels nail collection that was released last year. I love it. Everyone loved it. I bought it and wanted to review it, but it was already done so well by other bloggers I just felt it wasnt needed. I wear the colours often, but have yet to write about them π
I’m with you, I’m happy to wait a while and release it when I’m good and ready. I have a unhealthily large makeup/cosmetic collection and have yet to really write about 90% of it because I feel like its all been done before. I’m sure eventually it will all be written about, but I need to find a way to make it more interesting.
Kaye recently posted..Then And Now
I know what you mean, Kaye. With the example of the FOA Pastels nail collection, I’d give it a rest and let the others handle it. That’s what I did anyway. Like you, I wanted to review it but seeing that it’s been on every other Australian beauty blog, I figured nah. I’ll move on to something else.